WPC  >˪  CP|#^# A? k_l1j2uYJ^Fr)Ǣ =4DגnK"vy.GA9<,!t-PRǫ!,/Nm{ξ*,vl|H%TX࿱Wô(b$ߝx^(O8m €2>-gwqA6͘ ܽ=~Bckɬ屎_d')Yq&!hpN;I*# LUNW % 04 0bw@4 AQ 0DNN^ " . 0 m0 U:G G G G G G G G G G G G G B  0Dd 0D 0D D/0 0 B_ D3| HP LaserJet 4SiHPPCL5MS,,,,,,0nLh'"  Z 6Times New Roman Regular( U$  (c(2nu$ U!   XX^X `   0  - - "#$E%&'()*Ӏ4_#-3|x4!"#$&C<< C(#$  0  ford consumer v. clay - opinion 5 ' IB011C20IB011C2 .   Q$ ""  ͒ ͒   Ad FILEDXH X   July10,1998CecilW.CrowsonAppellateCourtClerkdAh U,@AZ"Arial Regular dLevel 1Level 2Level 3Level 4Level 5(3$ !  (3$ !  ($$   1  ((' dxdP Pd 'dxd U!   **_X76dd7    M TR[A' Legal3'A' Legal3'T4*r )<,(j 8` `@E ` 8ttxPX  r*444**@ DINTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE4t )>.*jx` `@E` 8ttxP/  tߛ4@)DATNASHVILLE   6MFORDCONSUMERFINANCE  ) * z COMPANY,INC., h     ) @   `     h     ) ` Plaintiff/Appellee,    ) l   `     h     ) p DavidsonChancery   VS. `     h     ) p No.952830I    `     h     )AMBROSE_W.J._ԀCLAY,    ) p AppealNo.    `     h     ) p 01A019610CH00481 *  ` Defendant/Appellant.    ) @ @ DAPPEALFROMTHECHANCERYCOURT@&DFORDAVIDSONCOUNTY@88$DATNASHVILLE,TENNESSEE@ DTHEHONORABLEIRVINH._KILCREASE_,JR.,CHANCELLORForPlaintiff/Appellee: h      p   ForDefendant/Appellant: :&! ̜NoAppearance   h      p   Ambrose_W.J._ԀClay f(#  М `     h      p   ProSeM6 @^^%DVACATEDANDREMANDED  1,' 6M `     h      p WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE  :5/ МM6 ̛@)DOPINION   6M ` Thisisanappealinvolvesamakersliabilityonapromissorynote.TheChanceryCourtforDavidsonCounty,followingabenchtrial,awardedtheholderofthenotea$27,523.47judgment.ThemakerofthenoteappealedtothiscourtandthenfiledaChapter7bankruptcypetitionintheUnitedStatesBankruptcyCourtfortheMiddleDistrictofTennessee.Themakerofthenotehasnowinformedthiscourtthatthedebtarisingfromthejudgmentonthenotehasbeendischarged,relievinghimfromfurtherpersonalliabilityonthenote.Becausethejudgmentonthenoteisnowvoidbyforceoffederallaw,wevacatethejudgmentbelowandremandthiscasewithdirectionsthatitbedismissed.@.D I.  # Л ` In1987AmbroseW.J.Clayexecutedapromissorynotefor$19,381.51withFordConsumerFinanceCo.Inc.s( Ford)predecessor,AssociatesFinancialServices,Inc.ThenotewassecuredbyadeedoftrustonapieceofrealpropertyownedbyMr.Clay.AfterMr.Claydefaultedonthenote,FordsuedMr.ClayintheChanceryCourtforDavidsonCountyseekingajudgmentagainsthimfortheunpaidbalanceofthenoteplusinterest,costs,andattorneysfeesasprovidedinthenote.Mr.ClayresistedthecollectionactionbyassertingthatFordwasrequiredtorealizeonitscollateralbeforeproceedingagainsthimpersonallyforthedebt. ` Bothpartiesmovedforsummaryjudgment.ThetrialcourtdeterminedthatFordwasnotrequiredtoproceedagainstthecollateralbeforeproceedingagainstMr.Clayforapersonalmoneyjudgment.Onthemerits,thetrialcourtfoundMr.ClayindefaultandawardedFordajudgmentfortheunpaidbalanceof$23,933.45,plusreasonableattorneysfeesof$3,590.02foratotaljudgmentof$27,523.47.Thereafter,onApril8,1996,Mr.Clayappealed.̜  %8u3>  ` OnNovember12,1996,Mr.ClayfiledapetitionforChapter7bankruptcyin theUnitedStatesBankruptcyCourtfortheMiddleDistrictofTennessee.AspartofthatfilinghesoughtdischargeofanypersonalliabilityontheFordnote.Fordfilednoactioninthebankruptcycourtcontestingthe_dischargeability_Ԁofitsdebt,andonOctober17,1997,theUnitedStatesBankruptcyCourtgrantedMr.ClayaChapter7dischargecoveringtheForddebt.@.D II.  g   ` Thecourtsordinarilydeclinetoprovidejudicialreliefincasesthatdonotinvolveagenuineandexistingcontroversyrequiringtheadjudicationofpresentrights.SeeStateexrel.Lewisv.State,208Tenn.534,537,347S.W.2d47,48  (1961);_Dockery_Ԁv._Dockery_,559S.W.2d952,954(Tenn.Ct.App.1977).Thus, < casesmustremainjusticiablethroughouttheentirecourseofthelitigation,andtheconceptof_mootness_Ԁinvolvescircumstancesthatrenderacasenolongerjusticiable.SeeMcIntyrev._Traughber_,884S.W.2d134,137(Tenn.Ct.App.1994).Amoot o casehaslostitscharacterasapresent,livecontroversy,see_McCanless_Ԁv.Klein,182   Tenn.631,637,188S.W.2d745,747(1945),andacasewillbeconsideredmootifitnolongerservesasameanstoprovidesomesortofrelieftotheprevailingparty.SeeMcIntyrev._Traughber_,884S.W.2dat137;_Massengill_Ԁv._Massengill_,36Tenn. #& App.385,38889,255S.W.2d1018,1019(1952). ` Itiswellsettledthatadischargeinbankruptcyoperatestovoidadebtorspersonalliabilityforanyjudgmentobtainedpriortothedebtorsbankruptcyfiling.See11U.S.C.A.524(a)(1)(West1993);InreWalls,125_B.R._Ԁ908,909(_Bankr_.D. +'0 Del.1991);Inre_Freels_,79_B.R._Ԁ358,361(_Bankr_.E.D.Tenn.1987);_Conklin_Ԁv.Iowa i-(2 Dist.Court,482N.W.2d444,447(Iowa1992).11U.S.C.A.524(a)(2)further  /Z*4 providesthataChapter7dischargeoperatestoenjoinanyactbyacreditortoenforceaprepetitiondischargeddebtasapersonalliabilityofthedebtor.Thus,byoperationoffederallaw,FordmaynolongerpursueMr.Claypersonallyforhisdebtunderthepromissorynote,andFordsjudgmentinthetrialcourtmaynevermorebeemployedtoreachMr.Claypersonallybygarnishment,execution,orotherwise.  8 4@  ` SinceFordsjudgmenthasbeenabrogatedbyMr.Claysdischargein bankruptcy,Mr.Claynolongerneedsreliefinthiscourtfromthejudgmentbelow.AnyadditionalreliefthiscourtcouldgivewouldbetantamounttocarryingcoalstoNewcastle.ThiscasenolongerservesasameanstoproviderelieftoMr.Clay.Theordinarypracticewhenacasebecomesmootonappealistovacatethejudgmentinthetrialcourtandremandthecasewithdirectionsthatitbedismissed.SeeMcIntyre  %  v._Traughber_,884S.W.2dat138.Consequently,wevacatethejudgmentbelowand v  remandthiscasefordismissalofFordscomplaint.WetaxthecostsofthisappealtoAmbroseW.J.Clay,nosuretyofrecordappearing. `     h      p ______________________________ `     h      p WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGECONCUR:_______________________________̜'SAMUELL.LEWIS,JUDGE''BENH._CANTRELL_,JUDGE'_______________________________̜(BENH.CANTRELL,JUDGE((WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE()  w!  7dd7   @  DINTHECOURTOFAPPEALSOFTENNESSEE  @ZZ)DATNASHVILLE#  ##  @ FORDCONSUMERFINANCE  ) \  COMPANY,INC., h     ) r   `     h     ) ` Plaintiff/Appellee,    )    `     h     ) p DavidsonChancery    VS. `     h     ) p No.952830I    `     h     )AMBROSE_W.J._ԀCLAY,    ) p AppealNo. F   `     h     ) p 01A019610CH00481  \   ` Defendant/Appellant.    ) "r  #暚$#   @cc(DJUDGMENT #  |(#Ԉ   ` ThiscausecameontobeheardupontherecordonappealfromtheDavidsonCountyChanceryCourtandthebriefsoftheparties.Uponconsiderationoftheentirerecord,thiscourtfindsandconcludesthatthetrialcourtsjudgmentshouldbeϜvacated. ` Inaccordancewiththeopinionfiledcontemporaneouslywiththisjudgment,itis,therefore,ordered,adjudged,anddecreedthatthetrialcourtsjudgmentbeandisherebyvacated,thatthecauseberemandedtothetrialcourtforfurtherproceedingsconsistentwiththiscourtsopinion,andthatthecostsbetaxedinthemannerprovidedinthisjudgment. ` Itisfurtherorderedthatthecostsofthisappealbetaxed toAmbroseW.J.Clay )!___!). ` ENTER_____________________. `     h     ______________________________ `     h     "SAMUELL.LEWIS,JUDGE")"BENH._CANTRELL_,JUDGE") `     h     ______________________________ `     h     #BE#)$#H#$)%NH.CANTRELL,JUDGE%)#WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE#) `     h     ______________________________ `     h     &WILLIAMC.KOCH,JR.,JUDGE&)&WILLIAMB.CAIN,JUDGE&))